Writings: Biosecurity Queensland not controlling the movement of fire ant carriers out of 27 newly infested suburbs

Biosecurity Queensland has NO restrictions on the movement of fire ant carriers like soil and mulch out of twenty-seven newly infested suburbs. Human assisted movement (people accidentally or carelessly moving fire ants in loads of soil or mulch or potted plants) is the main cause of the persistent spread of fire ants in south-east Queensland. Biosecurity Queensland has abrogated its responsibility to contain the spread of fire ants. Fire ants are now out of control. The infestation is ten times worse than when fire ants were first detected in 2001. $400m of public money has been wasted. 18th April 2018



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 On 11th April, Biosecurity Queensland posted a notice on social media to inform residents in the Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim, Somerset and Ipswich areas that fire ant staff would be treating infested areas and conducting surveillance for fire ants over the coming weekend.

Commenting on that post, I suggested that Biosecurity Queensland might consider up-dating its Fire Ant Biosecurity Zones map, now nearly two years old (1 July 2016), so that residents and business owners could know if they lived or worked in a fire ant infested area or not.

Biosecurity Queensland replied that the Fire Ant Biosecurity Zones map is still current and that ‘fire ant biosecurity zones are not a reflection of (the) fire ant infestation, rather they identify areas where restrictions on the movement of fire ant carriers apply.’

I asked ‘Biosecurity Queensland, does this mean you are not applying any restrictions on the movement of fire ant carriers out of the many suburbs beyond the out-of-date fire ant biosecurity zones map that are now infested with fire ants?’ Biosecurity Queensland has not replied.

Human assisted movement (people accidentally or carelessly moving fire ants in loads of soil, mulch, animal manures, baled hay or straw, potted plants and turf) is the main cause of the persistent spread of fire ants in south-east Queensland.

Biosecurity Queensland is imposing NO controls on the movement of these fire ant carriers out of twenty-seven newly infested suburbs beyond the bounds of the current Fire Ant Biosecurity Zones map (July 2016). They are:

  • Bracken Ridge, Brookfield, Greenslopes, Upper Kedron, East Brisbane, Fairfield, Holland Park West, Bridgeman Downs, Capalaba and Fitzgibbon in Brisbane City.
  • Pine Mountain in Ipswich City.
  • Kensington Gove, Laidley Creek West, Gatton, Hatton Vale, Kalbar, Lake Clarendon, Mulgowie and Regency Downs in the Lockyer Valley.
  • Anthony, Munbilla, Beaudesert and Rosevale in the Scenic Rim.
  • Lowood, Brightview and Prenzlau in the Somerset area, and
  • Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast.

Biosecurity Queensland abrogated its responsibility to contain the spread of fire ants when it reduced its large team of biosecurity inspectors down to a mere handful. They were the inspectors who worked with businesses that dealt with fire ant carriers to help them develop plans to mitigate their risk of spreading fire ants, who audited those plans and who prosecuted those who spread fire ants.  A handful of inspectors can do little to identify and work with the many thousands of businesses that deal with fire ant carriers within the two-hundred and eighty suburbs already within the Fire Ant Biosecurity Zones.

It now appears Biosecurity Queensland is totally walking away from its responsibility to prevent the spread of fire ants by applying NO controls on the movement of fire ant carriers out of twenty-seven newly infested suburbs.

Fire ants are now out-of-control in south-east Queensland. The infestation is ten times worse than when they were first detected in 2001.  $400m of public money has been wasted because Biosecurity Queensland has failed to fulfil its obligation to contain the spread of fire ants.